Chaos.

Summary:
Bella and Edward are happily married (something I think most of us are desperate for.) But what happens when they recieve some utterly unexpected company?

Notes:
This story came to me when I was (surprisingly) drying my hair. As I was staring at the tile floors, I was writing my own Breaking Dawn and other various Twilight stories. This one was so "out-there" it stuck. Here goes...

2. Afraid of a Hollow Shell.

The great room slash living room at the Cullen’s had never seemed so blindingly bright, the buzzing of low vampire voices had never given me an actual headache, and the volume of human conversation had never been so incredibly irritating.

I was thankful that Charlie felt so awkward around his pregnant daughter, less of him. Simply pretending to enjoy the company of Renee was intensely difficult. She had flown down immediately after hearing the “good news”. She was positively giddy. Nothing could dampen her spirits. The fact that she was still young probably helped her feel less depressed about being called a grandma to be. I only had the time to feel slightly guilty about hating everyone. Inevitably, once things had been cleared up over who was the father, Alice had gone totally ballistic. She and Renee had teamed up. They never ceased talking about the cutest blankets, the most convenient bottle, the most durable bibs, the softest diapers, etc.

Not that I could stop thinking about it either, and I got the impression that the blank look that appeared in Edward’s eyes meant that he was consumed by it, too. I was terrified. It wasn’t that I didn’t like kids, I was a female, they just didn’t seem to like me. Was there anyway that this clumsy, average, twenty year old was meant for motherhood? It seemed highly unlikely. I would probably trip over every hot wheel and fall on to every Lego tower. Poor kid.

Still…I was excited (all the mood swings and mixed emotions were getting to me), the main things that I thought would be fun were picking a name--and seeing what a mixture of my gorgeous husband and myself would look like.

“If it’s a girl, what would you want to name it?” I asked my husband. I had been making him talk often. It seemed to me like he was in his own little la la land even when he was rubbing my stomach and speaking to me. It was frightening not to know what sort of things were passing through his mind,

Edward smiled his heart stopping crooked smile. “I see you’re more interested than you appear.” He paused and looked at the ceiling, “I’ve always been fond of the name Caroline.”

I raised an eyebrow, “Caroline?”

“What? You don’t like it?”

“No, I do, it’s just, why?”

He caressed my bursting belly, “Does it matter?” His voice was far away.

I didn’t push it, “And a boy?”

“What about naming it after your father? Charlie.”

I snorted and his head turned to me, amused.

“What?” He asked.

“Charlie? Charlie Cullen? Uh-uh, my boy will not have the initials C.C. No way.”

Edward was silent. I cocked my head to the side, and suddenly I was so irritated with this hollow shell of my husband, I couldn‘t take it anymore. It was time for somebody to put their foot down.. “Edward? You’ve been acting odd and I am so sick of it, I could scream. Tell me--are you mad? Do you not want the baby? I’d give it up for adoption on the spot if you asked me to, no matter how disappointed our families were.” I paused for a second. When he didn’t reply, I added, “You can trust me. I’m your wife. No matter how big I get, I will still be Isabella Marie Cullen. You remember that in your incredibly brilliant head.” I took a deep breath.

It was as if he was coming out of a trance. My annoyed outburst had brought a smile to his face and his old self gleamed through his curtained eyes. He’d been so “out of this world” ever since I had mentioned the word “baby” seven months ago after his family had left our bedroom the night “all had been revealed”. It was a relief to see the actual Edward I loved, especially since I was always uncomfortable.

“Bella.” He muttered. His tone was incredulous, like he hadn’t realized he’d been constantly by my side through the whole thing.

“Uh--yes?” I was hesitant and not a little worried.

“Oh, Bella.” He muttered quickly before pressing his cold, marble lips to mine. His lips were surprisingly desperate, and I fell into it immediately. Most people aren’t very happy kissing their husbands seven and a half months through pregnancy, but they weren’t married to a Greek god. Lucky me.

His hand supported the nape of my neck as he tilted my head up, his lips tracing my collar bone and back up to my chin, then my lips--just like before he’d become so awkward. I was immensely happy, I had started to worry that he wouldn’t be himself until after his only child had been born, that would have been a huge disappointment.

He froze and slowly pulled himself away, almost irritated, it seems, at having to cut it short. I relaxed my tensed muscles. He took a good look at me, “Bella. I am so sorry. I’ve been in total shock. I had never thought you could be…be like this.” He placed his hands on my stomach. “I still don’t see how, but you healed me, I’m fine now. And I’m--” His marble forehead creased down the center.

“You’re what?” I urged him on, I didn’t want his crystal clear voice to stop. It was refreshing to hear it without the mistiness that had clouded it for so long.

“I’m happy.” He laughed loudly and light-heartedly. “I’m excited and completely optimistic! Can you believe it! I had never thought I’d see the day were I could truly be called a father--not just a father figure, but scientifically a father, and here, it’s just a month and a half away!” He laughed.

I laughed along with him. It felt so great to have my Edward back that the pains and confusion I had been feeling felt a light-year away.

I was going to share this experience with the man I was desperately in love with.